On My Way
by The Cliffhanger Girl
Summary: Who said giving up your baby at seventeen was easy? Oh that's right, no one.
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys! So, this is a new story and I want you all to give it a shot! I came up with this but, I have no clue how, but I did!

**Warnings:** Very Emotional.

A Special Thanks To My Beta Reader-lizzzxx0

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><p><em><strong><span>ON MY WAY<span>**_

**_PROLOGUE_**

_**If you love someone unconditionally and with your whole heart, then you will do what is best for them, not you. I have never learned a harder lesson than giving my child up for adoption and I probably never will.**_

When Clare Edwards was seventeen years old, she did the hardest thing that any human being could ever do.

Some people think that witnessing a death is hard, breaking up with the one you love is hard or letting go of the past is hard. But, Clare Edwards knew that there was no way out of this situation. She had to do whatever it takes to protect the ones she loved and in order to do this, she had to let go.

Elijah Goldsworthy, the love of her life, the one who swept her off of her feet. The guy who, no matter what would be there for her. When they fought, they'd always get through it and find a way to fix their problems because in the end they both knew they needed each other at the end of the day.

Clare had made several wrong decisions in her life before, but she was determined to make the right one this time.

On a rainy Friday night in the middle of January, Clare had handed over her purity ring to Eli. Even though she had done it with a shaky hand, she knew it was the right thing to do.

Eli loved her and he promised he would never leave her. His words had cut deeper than his actions when he had corrupted her innocence.

It's funny how Clare had lived through the most painful experience she had ever gone through that night. Yet, the physical pain was just the beginning. The aftermath of Elijah making love to Clare had been somewhat more enjoyable than the act of sex. He had held his arms wide open as she snuggled into his shoulder.

What they didn't know was that the worst possible thing happened that night.

The next morning, Eli had glanced down at the garbage can that had only one condom inside of it. Considering Eli had turned into a clean freak and started throwing everything that was unnecessary to have out, he only glared at the latex condom lying lazily inside.

Clare had been sleeping restlessly since he had got out of the bed and he squinted his eyes to see a tiny hole at the tip of the condom. He simply shook his head, trying to eliminate the negative thoughts.

One month later, Clare had missed her period and had been vomiting. Clare had always gotten her period on time so there was no doubt that something was wrong. She had thought nothing of it, nothing of a pregnancy scare. Eli had convinced her that it was just a stomach virus and the illness had caused her to miss her time of the month.

Clare had agreed, but she had known that it was not because of her sickness.

Clare's belly had begun to grow slightly after two weeks and the _"flu"_ had passed. Eli had caved and started to suspect that the tiny whole in that condom had created the biggest hole in his life.

"I think it's time we get a pregnancy test," Clare told Eli for the tenth time that day. He shook his head, not wanting to face his mistake. He knew it was an expired condom but, at the time Clare was ready and Eli wasn't going to deny her any longer than he already had.

He gave her what she's always wanted, him.

That day, a few hours later, Eli had caved and went out to buy a pregnancy test for her. He went through the aisles with his eyes looking bloodshot and hands shaking slightly.

This was the scariest thing he ever done in his life.

"_It's positive_," the two words that echoed through Eli's ears for nearly nine months of Clare's pregnancy.

They had both survived the pregnancy with tiny fights here and there. Clare and Eli both thought raising a child would be hard, too much for them to handle on their own and both Clare and Eli's parents had given up on them.

It was Clare and Eli against the world.

"We have to give it up for adoption," the eight words that sent Clare over the edge and tears poured down her cheeks faster than she could imagine.

Clare and Eli had both "agreed" to give up the baby that they had created to the adoption agency. They had picked out the ideal family in less than a month. The soon to be parents to their baby were perfect. They were happy, had plenty of money to take care of the baby and plenty of love to go around.

Clare had been tired, worn out and worst of all...heartbroken. Clare and Eli had both contemplated on whether or not they should see the baby or not and in the end, they decided they would rather not.

Eli buried his head in the crook of Clare's neck and she squeezed his hand tightly when she heard the baby cry. Tears streamed down their faces and dripped onto each other's lips.

Eli didn't want to see the baby and neither did Clare because then they would become attached. This was the worst part of her pregnancy, giving her first baby girl up. The moment Eli had pulled away from Clare's neck to take a shaky breath, she had unintentionally glanced at her baby and she wrapped her arms around Eli's neck tightly and cried harder than the baby.

"It's alright Clare," he whispered in her ear.

What she didn't know was that glance had forever scarred her for life.

She felt horrible, as if this was the **WORST** decision she had ever made.

But now, Clare is sitting in her living room and glaring at the blank TV in front of her. Eli works most of the time to support her and the apartment they share. She usually goes out running, running until her heart is beating so fast she can't think and running until her legs go so numb she can't move.

Running, the one thing that makes Clare feel pain, pain that makes up for the emotional pain that her baby daughter will have to endure when she finds out she's "that kid". The kid whose parents didn't love her enough so they gave her up.

That's how Clare looks at this situation, a tragedy.

She knows she shouldn't and Eli tells her every minute of every day that giving up baby Lilly, was a miracle in itself.

A miracle is something happy, something that makes you smile and makes you feel worth living.

The problem here is Clare doesn't smile, she isn't happy and she doesn't want to live.

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><p><em><strong>So, continue or not? <strong>_

_**Reviews? **_

Love you guys,

Cliffhanger Girl

3


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys! Sorry for neglecting this story, I received a review on it recently and I literally went "Oh crap!" So, therefore I apologize about neglecting it and I hope this first chapter makes up for it! Please Enjoy the first chapter of "On My Way"...

_**A/N**_-I'm going to be going away for a week so I probably won't upload for a little while, just a little. I promise once I get back from vacation and all the fingers on my left hand go from sore and numb to strong and not sore, aha (let's just say you're lucky you got this update considering I feel like I broke all the fingers on my left hand-lol) I will be updating each of my stories! :)

**A Special Thanks To My Beta Reader**-SomeoneNamedLiz

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><p><strong>ON MY WAY-CHAPTER 1<strong>

_**I realized at the start that whether a child is biological or adopted, one does not know all the ingredients in the package. That is what growth is all about. A child is the slowest flower in the world, opening petal by petal, revealing the developing personality within.**_

**ELI'S PERSPECTIVE**

I stared at my two interlocked hands, placed firmly between my legs.

My eyes glanced up every now and then in hopes that Clare would come through the door and then eat dinner with me, her husband. But, every night I end up sitting by myself at the dining room table as I play with my food.

When I slowly moved my hand to pick up my fork, I saw Clare who walked into the house with her running clothes on.

I got up hesitantly while walking over to her and I said, "You were out for a really long time."

Clare would always run now, she used to jog and walk, but now she runs. I've never seen her so skinny, so desperate to run at any free moment her life gives her. I think it's a way that she expresses her pain for Lilly.

_**Ever since we gave her away, fifteen years ago, she's been mourning it.**_

"Yeah, uh, I lost track of time, sorry," she told me as I wrapped my arms around her bone chilling body.

Her head rested uncomfortably on my shoulder as I stroked my fingers through her cinnamon curls and I whispered in her ear, "Can we please just, spend time together now that you're home?"

She gulped and said, "I-I uh, I'm kind of tired Eli, maybe tomorrow."

_**Excuses.**_

Clare, ever since the day she had her first baby, has been full of excuses, full of lies and full of things to do instead of spend time with me. At first, my friend Adam had told me that it's just from the shock of giving away Lilly, but now that fifteen years have passed I'm afraid to think that Clare isn't in love with me anymore.

Maybe, we did lose that spark. Maybe, she doesn't love me anymore.

Maybe, just maybe, she doesn't want me anymore.

"Clare, honestly, do you want to spend time with me anymore? Do you want to cut this relationship off? Do you want to end it?" I asked her, raising my arms, wondering if this was the end.

I watched as she looked down, twiddling her thumbs and she whimpered, "I-I don't want to lose anyone else, Eli."

My words got caught in my throat as I watched Clare's tears stream down her face as her lip quivered in emotional pain, "I-I don't think I could live without you Eli, please...don't do this to me."

I shook my head, licked my lips and whispered, "I won't leave you Clare, as long as you spend time with me."

"I promise, I will. I-I'm sorry," she mumbled into my chest as I wrapped my arms tightly around her slim body, due to all of the running, and I listened to her sob uncontrollably.

I used my hand to stroke her hair lightly, as I whispered against her ear, "I love you, Clare."

She nodded against my chest and her legs slowly grew weak as her knees hit the floor with a light tap and in the meantime, I kneeled beside her as Clare heaved, "I just miss her so m-much."

"I know baby girl, I know. I miss her too, but, she's been in so many orphanages since she was born that they can't even track down her file yet. If we just be patient, they'll track her down and we can get her back," I said lowly while kissing her on the top of her head.

My hands stroked her back as she gripped onto me while saying, "I hope so Eli, I hope so."

_**Me too.**_

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><p><strong>4 AM<strong>

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><p><strong>LILLY'S PERSPECTIVE<strong>

"My feet hurt," Drew groaned as I rolled my eyes and said, "We walked ten miles and we had to stop to get you a burrito, remember? You owe me, and besides, we're almost there."

"Thank god," my boyfriend moaned as he trailed behind me.

I've been waiting years, months, days, and long torturous hours to finally get away from that stupid orphanage. It was filled with people who didn't give a shit about you and people who only wanted you to turn eighteen and get out.

I sat on my bed for days, mapping out my plan to find my real parents. Although the second I stole my file from the orphanage office, I wanted to jump out of the window right then and there to go find my parents…but, Drew held me back and told me that if we didn't map it out then we'd get caught.

All I want to do is see who they are, get to know the story behind them giving me up and ask if they ever loved me. Just, you know, simple questions that I wrote down on a long piece of paper.

"How much longer?" Drew asked and I rolled my eyes, "The house should be right...here."

I swiftly turned to my side to see a huge house, possibly bigger than the orphanage itself.

"So, are you going to go in or just stand here?" Drew asked me, standing beside me with his hands on his hips, as if becoming aggravated with me for not making my way up my so called parents' doorstep at four in the morning.

_**The reason for being hesitant...nerves.**_

"Lill, you've been talking about being right here, in this moment, for years and about what you would say, how you would hug them and now, your feet are cemented to the floor, why?" He asked, smiling.

I sighed and said, "Talking is different than doing, Drew."

"Yeah, tell me about," he said as I smacked him over the back of the head and then glanced up at the house.

I gulped and Drew said, "You better hurry up, before it gets to be eight and then teddy (head master of the orphanage) realizes we never slept in our beds or even stayed where we are supposed to be."

"You're my boyfriend, you're supposed to support me for whatever choices I make, no matter how dumb," I told him while slowly making my way up the steps as he followed behind me.

When I reached my finger out, it shook slightly and I pulled back, "What if they are sleeping?"

"Press it Lill," he ordered and I sighed, "But it's four in the morn-."

My eyes bulged when I realized that Drew had already slammed his finger over the bell and I hissed, "Why would you do that? You are such a fucking idiot! Oh my god, what if they answer?"

"Then they'd be considered people who I would definitely come over to their house because they answer the door when I ring the door bell like every normal person," Drew said as I smiled nervously.

I heard footsteps and a groan, "Who is it?"

"Uh-," I didn't know what to say as the door swung open and I came eye to eye contact with a dark haired man, obviously taller than me, with his eyes clenched shut from the blaring street lights.

"We don't why to buy Girl Scout cookies," he said and Drew scoffed, "Do you want to buy a daughter?"

His eyes, I'm presuming it's Eli's, snapped open and he glared into my eyes as I gulped nervously. I could feel his green eyes piercing my soul and I was at a loss for words. It's funny how I planned on asking them so many questions, when, here I was, standing before my real dad, with nothing to say.

"Lilly?" He whispered.

**END OF CHAPTER 1**

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><p><em><strong>So, continue?<strong>_

_**Can we get to 20 reviews all together? Please?**_

Love you guys,

The Cliffhanger Girl

3


	3. Chapter 3

Hey guys! Long time no update...yes? I think so, I think so! I'm not going to bore you to death with a long author's note, so thank you for the review/subscribes to this story! Please enjoy the third chapter of "On My Way"...

**A Special Thanks To My Beta Reader**-SomeoneNamedLiz

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><p><strong><span>ON MY WAY-CHAPTER 2<span>**

_**Just because her eyes don't tear doesn't mean her heart doesn't cry...and just because she comes off strong, doesn't mean there's nothing wrong.**_

**CLARE'S PERSPECTIVE**

I groaned, reaching out my arms to the side of me, in search of Eli's waist and my eyes immediately shot open, noticing he wasn't in bed at all.

"Eli?" I whispered, getting up from the bed and slowly making my way down the steps.

My feet dragged lazily as my head hung lowly. I clenched my eyes tightly shut when my eyes came in contact with the blaring kitchen light. I moaned and asked, "Eli why are you up so early? Why are you in the kitchen so-."

_**I stopped talking, noticing that there was a teenager girl, accompanied by a teenage boy in our kitchen.**_

The girl, her eyes...her face...her bone structure, she looked so familiar. Tears welled in her eyes as I glanced at her confusingly, wondering if this was all just a dream and this was just in my head.

I slowly approached her as Eli led the boy outside of the kitchen and I sat across from her, our knees touching and I brought my hand up to her cheek, stroking away the tears softly.

The girl reached her hand up to the other side of my face, wiping the lone tear away and my cheeks flushed underneath her bone chilling touch. My breathing hitched as I shook my head, taking a gulp and I asked lowly, "Is this a dream?"

"Nope, pretty sure we're wide awake!" I heard a boy shout from the living room, followed by a "shut up" from Eli.

I didn't even need to speak as I wrapped my arms around the shaking girl, her tears clashing with mine and her sobs filling my ears, leaving me speechless. My throat was dry, and my heart was racing as I whispered in her ear, "I never thought this day would come..."

_**She rubbed my back, clinging to me like a first grader not wanting to leave her mother on the first day of school.**_

"Neither would I," she whispered in my ear as I heard her words. Her first words that I've ever heard escape her lips.

Not too much later, I felt another pair of arms wrap around me and Lilly as we pulled away from our hug, glancing up at the person. My eyebrows tightened in confusion, not knowing this boy at all.

"Oh, uh, how could I forget...mom, dad, if I can call you that?" Lilly asked as Eli pulled me up slowly from the kitchen table, gripping onto my waist tightly, not wanting to let go.

"Of course you can," I whispered for the both of us, wiping the tears that were now irritating my cheeks.

She smiled weakly and said, "Mom...dad, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Drew."

I felt Eli's heart stop as I just smiled in response, where as Eli, his "fatherly" instincts kicked in and before I could stop him, he had the poor boy pinned up against the kitchen wall. My eyes bulged as he hissed through gritted teeth, "I swear to god if you hurt her in any way I will personally rip out your-," I cut Eli off as Lilly and I pried him off of Drew.

Drew just stood by the wall, shaking slightly and I touched his bicep, "I'm sorry...about him, he's just not all on the whole dating ship...just give him time, he'll process it."

"Uh uh, how long will it take? Because, that's how long I won't be around here," he said while wrapping his arm around Lilly and I smiled, noticing the young love that was growing strong in the room.

"A man with sarcasm, I like him," I said, crossing my arms approvingly.

Lilly cleared her throat, slipping out beneath Drew's arm and she said, "Uh, we both snuck out...of the orphanage we were in. Listen, I found out where you lived and I just couldn't pass up the opportunity. I really hope you understand and I-," tears rolled down her face with fear that they'd send her back knowing that she already felt so much love in this room.

_**I wrapped my arms around her again, never wanting to let go, never wanting to take my eyes off of her.**_

"What's your guys' last name? Goldsworthy? Hm, that's so…dark, meanwhile you guys are all huge hugger's. Well, maybe not your dad...but, that's so strange because I pictured you guys being like, vampires," Drew said and I smiled as Lilly laughed lightly, her laughter piercing my ears with pleasure.

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><p><strong>LILLY'S PERSPECTIVE<strong>

My fingers trembled on my mother's back, gripping onto her as tightly as I could. I heard my boyfriend take a bite out of the apple that was lying lazily on the table. I sighed, knowing it would keep him quiet so I just let him be.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered in my ear and I nearly lost it, feeling my heart stop beating.

I gulped and whimpered, feeling her bones sticking out of her back as I whispered, "I'm sorry...for not being what you wanted."

_At that moment, feeling my fingertips trailing her bones I knew that my concern would soon or later come over me. That is, If I'm still here tomorrow I'm going to sit my mother and father down and confront her about her light weight..._

My mother, Clare, pulled away from our embrace, placing her arms on my shoulders, forcing me to stare into her watering blue eyes as she shook her head and smiled, "We've always wanted you baby, we've always did..."

_**Tears streamed down my face, finally feeling loved in my life...for the first time, I was hearing the truth and loving every bit of it.**_

When my father, Eli, walked back into the kitchen, a smirk on his face and behind him, a startled Drew stood, taking a place standing behind me. I smiled and my dad said, "Don't worry...I don't have weapons. I'm sorry for freaking out on you, now what did you say your name was? Drew?"

He nodded, nervously holding out a hand and my dad said, "Eli Goldsworthy, nice to meet you."

"Drew The Amazing," he said and I rolled my eyes as my dad tightened his black eyebrows in confusion when Drew fully explained himself, "See, I disowned my real last name because of personal reasons and I decided that this one fits me perfect. Don't you think?"

My mother smiled weakly, the bags beneath her eyes growing darker as I said, "I'm really sorry for coming at four in the morning...I didn't really time this out. Like I said, I found out where you lived and left without thinking. As for Drew, yeah...he kind of, he's just my other half so I kind of drag him along everywhere."

"Well, it's no problem at all. Eli can call the orphanage in the morning, after we all get a good night's sleep and then we can arrange your adoptions, both of you," my mom said, as if adopting both of us was nothing.

I smiled, my smile not being able to be held back as I asked, "R-really? We can stay?"

"Of course you can, you can both stay and...I can home school you or we can enroll you in a school, then-," Eli cut my mother off, wrapping his arm around her and said, "We can all figure this out in the morning, let's all just go to bed and take things from there."

"W-where do we sleep? We didn't plan on staying so we didn't bring clothes and-," my mom placed a caring hand on my arm and said, "You can borrow some of my clothes and Drew, Eli can you give him a pair of your boxers and a shirt, with those pajama pants I bought you last week?"

_**Eli smiled weakly at Clare, as I grinned, seeing the love in his eyes for my mother shining brighter than the sun.**_

"Drew, hey...buddy, lemme' talk to you in the living room for a second?" Eli said, wrapping his arm around Drew and leading him towards the other room as my mother laced her arm around mine and I asked, "He won't hurt him, right?"

Clare smiled and said, "No...maybe, you never know with Eli."

My eyes bulged and she said, "Relax, I'm just joking...the extra clothes are in the closet in the living room."

As we made our way into my parents room, I smiled, a tear strolling down my cheek looking at the picture above the dresser. It was a picture of Eli and Clare, my own mother and father, on their wedding day.

"You looked so beautiful here..." I whispered innocently to my mom as she nodded, handing me some close and she whispered, "That was the second happiest day of my life."

"What was your first?" I asked her, my heart racing.

She placed an arm on my shoulder and said, "Having you...I think that stumped all the other days out."

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><p><strong>ELI'S PERSPECTIVE<strong>

I stared at the nervous teenage boy with raging hormones before me...I continued to glare until he said, "N-nice weather we're having, right?"

"It's cold," I muttered, "I hate the cold."

He smiled and said, "M-me too...I'm more of a summer person, you know, the whole idea of summer is pretty awesome."

"Is that because you get to see my little girl in a bikini you little perv?" I asked him, not being able to hold back my investigation on this kid. Even though I didn't know him too well, he seemed like he really cared enough about Lilly to help her find us...but, he's still a boy and he still thinks like one.

"No sir, definitely not," Drew said and I nodded, asking, "What size are you?"

"Excuse me, but I think that's a tad personal for you to know and plus I mean, I'd need a yard stick to-," I shook my head and said, "Not that kind of size...I mean your pants, shirt, for a change of clothes."

"Oh! Whatever you have is fine, thank you...Eli," when he said my name he said, "Or...dad?"

"Eli is fine," I mumbled while handing him a pair of pajamas that Clare bought me last week and I pointed towards the bathroom door, saying, "What? You don't know how to use the bathroom?"

He smiled, stood up and said, "I just want to thank you for doing...whatever you're going to do to help Lilly because her whole life, I know you weren't there, but I was and I watched her struggle. I really want the rest of her life to be the best it can be, so now with her parents back in her life, I feel like this will be a big help. So, thank you, Eli."

I nodded and said, "Just go change you weirdo."

When Drew was inside the bathroom, I sighed and made my way upstairs, wondering what the sleeping arrangements for the rest of the night was. I sighed, smirking and folding my arms when I saw Clare and Lilly, sleeping on our bed.

Clare had her arm wrapped tightly around her, and they were both soundlessly asleep.

_**This was a picture I've been waiting years...years to see.**_

"So, where are we sleeping?" I heard Drew whisper in my ear, making me nearly jump five hundred feet in the air because he nearly scared me half to death.

I sighed, shaking my head and I said, "You...can take the couch downstairs, I'll take the floor."

"N-no, I couldn't possibly sleep on the couch. It's your house sir-Eli, Eli-sir," I laughed and said, "You know...I'm starting to like you."

I made my way down the steps and Drew was still standing upstairs, watching the Clare/Lilly scene before him and with the glare of my eyes I could see a tear trickle down his face.

"Don't worry, they'll still be there when you wake up," I told him and he nodded, taking one last look and making his way back down the steps...

**END OF CHAPTER 2**

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><p><strong>Reviews? Who loves Drew in this story? <strong>

Love you guys,

Cliffhanger Girl

3


	4. Chapter 4

Hey guys! So, one month without an update eh? I'm sorry for the neglect to this story, I just never had an idea pop into my head...and I apologize for that long wait for the light bulb to turn on! Aha, anywhoo, please review if you want this story to keep going! Please enjoy the third Chapter of "On My Way"...

**A SPECIAL THANKS TO MY BETA READER**-SomeoneNamedLiz

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><p><strong><span>ON MY WAY-CHAPTER 3<span>**

_**Those who really love you don't mean to hurt you...and if they do, you can't see it in their eyes, but it hurts them too.**_

**ELI'S PERSPECTIVE**

"Dude," I whispered, making sure not to wake anybody in the house besides him as I poked Drew's face, mentally crossing my fingers for him to wake the heck up from whatever dream he was having.

_**This kid is a heavier sleeper than a dead person.**_

"Drew," I hissed, growing impatient as he stirred in his sleep, groaning and moaning like a child, not wanting to wake up early to go to school.

"I give up," I mumbled to myself, quickly walking into the kitchen, grabbing a glass from one of the top cabinets and turning the fauset on, filling it with ice cold water.

As I stood by his side, I smiled, knowing I was about to live out every father's wildest dream. I have the chance to "torture" my little girl's boyfriend and I'm going to love every damn second of it.

I scoffed, watching Drew shoot up from the floor when the bone chilling water had disturbed his peaceful slumber.

"What was that for?" He asked, gasping for breath while wiping the dripping water off of his face as his chest continued to rise up and down.

"I would've woken up if you just nudged me. You didn't have to go all "Niagara Falls" on me when I'm sleeping," I scoffed at his excuse, and responded sarcastically, "Seriously Drew? You sleep like a dead rock, and that's not even real."

"That's what Lilly tells me, but I don't know, I really don't believe her," Drew stood up, rubbing his eyes as he slowly made his way into the kitchen.

As I started to pull out pans, Drew's eyebrows tightened together in confusion as I asked, "You ever made pancakes before?"

He shook his head slowly, and I smiled, "If you want to continue dating my daughter, then you're going to have to learn."

"C-Can you teach me? I'd really like to make her happy and food usually makes me happy, so maybe if I make her food then she can be happy?" He asked, as I saw a hint of inoccence in his eyes, but I also saw a little thing that made my heart stop.

Not only did I see inoccence in his eyes, but I also saw a little bit of myself when I was a teenager...I must say, the look of determination was quite frightening.

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><p><strong>CLARE'S PERSPECTIVE<strong>

I smiled lightly, the smell of pancakes floating around the house as I opened my eyes, noticing I must've slept later than usual because Lilly wasn't beside me.

I threw my sweater on before walking down the steps. I couldn't help but smile, practically grinning at the scene before me. Drew was chowing down pacakes as Lilly giggled at Eli's cooking apron that Adam bought him for Chritsmas last year.

Waking up to this, I can definitely get used to.

"Hey, mom's up!" Drew shouted as I smiled, walking into the kitchen and pecking Eli's lips as he wrapped his arm around my waist, rubbing my side soothingly. I smiled, feeling Eli's lips touch my earlobe when he whispered, "I missed sleeping with my arms around you last night."

"Me too," I said, pecking his lips and I couldn't help but want to keep kissing him more because of the taste of pancakes lingering on his lips.

"Dad and I-, I mean, Eli and I woke up early to make pancakes for you two," Drew handed me a plate that had two very sloppy pacakes on it, but I laughed, seeing the words "I love you mommy!" spelled out with blueberries that were drenched in syrup.

"...And since Drew isn't a very good cook, I made sure dad whipped up an extra batch for you," Lilly said, and I smiled, listening to her use 'mom' or 'dad' in a sentence already.

Lilly took a seat at the table, joining Drew and I.

"Eli, you know I can only eat one of these, I can't eat the whole batch," I told him as he smirked, "I-I know, but Drew can basically inhale whatever you don't want to eat."

Drew laughed, until his face showed no more emotion than a brick as he said, "No seriously, I will devour any food you don't eat. Besides, you know what they say, it's a sin to waste food!"

"Let her eat her brekfast in peace, she needs to eat," Lilly shook her head, apologizing for Drew's comfortable behavior around us.

Eli kissed me, handing me my plate of three pancakes as I started to pick at the food on my plate.

"Did you know that before you even woke up today, Eli and I had a food contest and I beat him out by ten pancakes? You can even ask Lilly, she is my witness!" I smiled, laughing at Drew's and Eli's bond that was starting to grow, even though Eli probably won't admit it, the look in his eyes tells me he has a soft spot for Drew, somewhere.

"What has happened to your eating contest skills Eli?" I asked him, as he smirked, "Let's just say it was unfair anyway, the kid started like, twenty seconds before Lilly even said, "Go"!"

"Such a sore loser," Drew mumbled as I bit into a tiny piece of my pancake, not feeling so hungry anymore and I asked, to distract anyone from noticing that I wasn't eating, "Oh Eli, did you call the orphanage?"

Eli smiled, "Oh right! Yes, I called, actually before anybody woke up. Considering Drew took about a half-hour to wake up, I spent some time on the phone with Teddy, the head master of the orphanage..."

He trailed off, suspense being created, "So, what's our faith doc?" Drew asked, placing a hand over his heart, making this tension filled moment a lot more easier.

I smiled, watching Lilly smack Drew's shoulder as I asked, "And Eli? What did he say?"

"He said he's going to fax over the papers we need to fill out on Monday, then we fax them back, go take one more visit down there to get both of their clothes, but besides that...the adoptions are basically set," I smiled, not being able to hold back the happy tears as Drew wrapped his arms around Lilly, saying, "We don't have to sleep in the same room as the Barnabi sisters anymore!"

"Barnabi?" Eli and I questioned as I wrapped my arms around his waist.

Drew laughed, then playfully shivered, "They were these two girls that would snore like frickin' bulls...it was ridiculous!"

My eyebrows tightened together as I said, "Well, you don't have to sleep with them anymore. But, you might have to stick with the couch for awhile until we set up a room for you two."

"Uh, more like two rooms," Eli said, as I shook my head, "He still has to get used to you two dating, but I trust you two, which is why we'll only be making one room."

"Clare," Eli mumbled my name as I moved my hand beneath the back of his shirt, making him shiver from the cold touch as he said, "I refuse to let my daughter sleep in the same room as her boyfriend, it's just unacceptable."

"Didn't we sleep in the same room together when we were dating?" I asked him, as Drew's eyebrows arched and Lilly blushed.

"Fine," Eli agreed, then continued, "But, on one condition. You two have to sleep in two different beds, on opposite sides of the room."

Drew shrugged his shoulders and smiled, not seeming to care, "Eh, anything is better than living with those Barnabi sisters! I think if you guys set up beds for us on the roof, during a hurricane, while a tornado is going on...it'd would be a hell of a lot better than living with them in the same room."

After a moment of silence, I sighed, "W-Well, I have to go for a run so..."

"Clare," Eli hissed, "Lilly's here, don't you want to spend time with your daughter?"

I gulped, "Yes, but I have to go-."

Eli pulled me aside, away from Lilly and Drew and into the kitchen as he glanced at me, "Clare, come on, I thought that Lilly coming back would snap you out of it. You and I both know you didn't eat the pancakes, and now a run? Seriously?"

"I want to run Eli, what's wrong with that?" I asked him, throwing my hands up as he scoffed, "What's wrong? Your daughter that you haven't since she was born is in the living room right now and all you can think about is fucking running!"

"Well excuse me for wanting to-," he cut me off, "Wanting to what Clare? Keep your figure? You don't even have a figure anymore, you've run yourself into the ground! It's enough with the exercising and no eating, it's enough! You're going to sit down, eat this food, and not run."

"I'm not a child, you can't tell me-," Eli then cut me off mid sentence again, making me grow impatient, "You might not be a child Clare, but you sure are acting like one."

We heard a cough, and our heads glanced at Lilly, who asked shyly, "I-I uh, couldn't help but listen in on the fight...I think you should listen to dad, mom. He only cares about your health."

I took in a deep, shaky breath, "I need to run, now."

As I made my way up the steps, tears gushed down my face as I fast walked into our bedroom, ruffling through our draws nervously, in search of my jogging clothes...

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><p><strong>LILLY'S PERSPECTIVE<strong>

I shook my head, gulping, too afraid to speak as I watched my mother have a nervous break down before my eyes. I told my dad to stay downstairs, where I told Drew to hold him back incase he wanted to come upstairs to yell at her.

Tears started to stream down my face as I kneeled beside her, touching her arm gently, making her tear filled eyes snap up. Her chin trembled as tears fell down onto her shirt, and I smiled weakly, "I-I can help you find you clothes, and we can go jogging together?"

"I-I uh, I have to go alone, sorry," she mumbled as I traced the outline of the clothes that she threw behind her.

I picked up one of her tops, placing them over my shirt that I was wearing and I couldn't help but notice that she had to be the same exact size as me. That shouldn't be like that, she shouldn't be that tiny.

"W-we can p-possibly share clothes," I laughed, as my mother stood up, smiling while holding her, what looked like, jogging clothes in her hands. She glanced at me and said, "Y-Yeah, after I had you, I lost all the baby weight I guess."

"Or maybe it was from all the early morning runs? Skipping meals? Trying to find a way to fill the empty feeling," I whispered, playing with my fingers, too afraid to look up because I didn't want her to think that I was persecuting her or anything to offend her.

_**I just care, that's all.**_

"You just, search and search, you run in the hopes that you'll run the feeling of being alone off...but, it never works, so you keep doing it. Anyone with the faith of it just magically going away," I whispered again, as my mother placed a shaky hand on my shoulder, making me look up into her eyes.

"I love you so much Lilly, I hope you know that," she whimpered, bringing me into a hug, as I wrapped my arms around her, tracing the outline of her backbones sticking out.

"I love you too mom," I whimpered in between tears and sobs, as I said, "And that's why, you need to eat, you need to stop running...please."

She pulled away, as I smiled gently, slowly taking the running outfit out of her hands. She nodded, but the look in her eyes was as if I was taking her child away from her, which broke my heart.

"It'll be okay," I whispered, and she asked, "A-are you sure?"

"Positive."

**END OF CHAPTER 4**

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><p><strong>Reviews please? :D<strong>

Love you guys,

Cliffhanger Girl

3


	5. Chapter 5

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Hey guys...I'm sorry to say that this isn't an update, but it's an update about what's going to happen with this story. I plan on** discontinuing it** as of right now, but after I get some other stories that I'm writing done with (which I'm more interested in at the moment) then I will come back to it. I'm sorry for anybody's upsetment, I just really can't focus or get any ideas on this story for some reason.

I apologize.

Happy Holidays (:

Love you guys,

Cliffhanger Girl

3


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